FOCUS St. Louis has selected 59 outstanding individuals from the private, public and nonprofit sectors for the 44th Leadership St. Louis (LSL) class. These participants join a prestigious group of more than 2,000 leaders who have graduated from the LSL program since its inception in 1976.
Leadership St. Louis is a highly respected program for established and emerging leaders who have demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the St. Louis region. The 9-month curriculum explores such issues as economic development, racial equity, education, poverty and social services, arts and culture, and the criminal justice system. Participants visit key sites in the bi-state region, engage in face-to-face dialogue with regional decision makers and gain a deeper understanding of leadership approaches that produce results.
“We are excited to welcome this talented and diverse group of participants into our next class of Leadership St. Louis.” said Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D., President & CEO of FOCUS St. Louis and Director of the Leadership St. Louis program. “Over the next year, they will gain a better understanding of St. Louis’ civic landscape by exploring the issues, institutions and systems shaping it.”
Leadership St. Louis is one of six leadership programs offered by FOCUS St. Louis to achieve its mission of educating and connecting leaders to work cooperatively for a thriving St. Louis region. Find your FOCUS program today.
2019-20 Leadership St. Louis Class
Diego Abente
Vice President of Economic Development
International Institute of St. Louis
Katie Adastra
Executive Director – Growth + Strategy
North Highland
Barb Anderson-Kerlin
Principal / Sr. Project Manager
HOK
Laura Arnold
Councilmember
City of Webster Groves
Nicholas Ayling
Investor
Azuka Capital Investments
Dana Ballinger
Director – Case Management/Population Health
BJC/Christian Hospital
Lashanda R. Barnes
Vice President, Business Control
Citi
Mike Booker
Corporate Talent Development Manager
Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Billy Brennan
Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs
Saint Louis Zoo
Derrick Brooks
Senior Vice President, Consumer Business Digital Strategy Leader
Commerce Bank
Sandy Brooks
Executive Director
St. Louis Arts Chamber of Commerce
Amita D. Chinnadurai
Vice President, Risk Management & Business Controls
Wells Fargo Advisors
Justen Coleman
Senior Manager of Business Development
Centene Corporation
Ronald R. Coleman
Neighborhood Improvement Specialist
City of St. Louis
Lucrecia “Lucky” Cordoń-Springer
Controller
Twain Financial Partners
Bill Davis
Director, Energy Solutions
Ameren Missouri
Donna L. Davis
Chief, Strategy and Policy Analysis (TCJ6)
U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Amber Donnelly
Vice President of Early Childhood & Parenting Initiatives
ARCHS
Julie Desloge Dubray
Co-owner
Goodnight St. Louis/Skip to My Lou, LLC
Jessica Erfling
CEO
Covenant House Missouri
Julie Fickas
Interim Campus President and Chief Academic Officer
St. Louis Community College-Forest Park
Shawntelle L. Fisher
Founder/CEO
The SoulFisher Ministries
Major Alison Freiman
Operations Flight Commander
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Kim Gamel
Owner
Contained Beauty
Zellipah Githui
Entrepreneur
Sam Gladney
Attorney
Gladney Law Group, LLC
Lynn Grimshaw Maitz
Organizational Development/Human Resources
Saint Louis University
Jacob R. Gutshall
Director
Walker Scottish Rite Clinic at Maryville University
Lena Haas
General Partner
Edward Jones
Darren Hillis
Director of Pharmacy
SSM Health DePaul Ministry
Jackie Janus
Senior Vice President and Partner
FleishmanHillard
Janelle Jenkins
COO
KIPP St. Louis Public Schools
Tiffany Lacy Clark
VP of Clinical Operations
Places for People, Inc.
Chris Langhorne
Director, Strategic Planning-Global Strategic Business Unit
Nestle Purina PetCare
Mark Lawson
Director of Treasury Management
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Yvette LeGear Hartsfield
Managing Director of Development
Missouri Historical Society
Lisa Liebschutz
Director, Marketing & Communications
Stern Brothers
Carson Maricle
Officer
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Gayle L. Mercier
Vice Chair Real Estate Practice Group
Thompson Coburn LLP
Xanthe Meyer
Parkway Spark! Program Director
Parkway School District
Anthony Meyers
Pastor – Community Development
The Crossing
Jenna Mihm
Vice President and Associate General Counsel
Ascension
Dr. Miranda Ming
Associate Principal
Jennings High School
Dr. Kim Morton
Director, TRiO: Student Support Services/Manager of Operations
Washington University in St. Louis
Jessica Niehaus
Technical Project Manager
Mission Matters Group
Peter Palermo
Executive Director
The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries
Jason Dale Pierce
Architectural Discipline Director
JACOBS
Julie Pole
Executive Director
Food Outreach
Kianna Reed
Chief of Staff
Object Computing (OCI)
Matt Schindler
Executive Director
Gateway Greening
Christopher J. Schmidt
Partner
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Yusef Scoggin
Director – Office of Family & Community Services
Saint Louis County Department of Human Services
Tasha Scott-Wagoner
Sr. Diversity Advisor
Express Scripts
Jason Shinn
CIO
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Kama Tate Gregory
Chief Development Officer
Marygrove
Vish Tripathi
Client Engagement Director
Daugherty Business Solutions
Diana Wittig
Principal
Edward Jones
Jim Wright
Director of Public Works
City of St. Charles